We’ve had 3
new granddaughters in the past 10 months – which makes a total of 5 little
girls in 2 ½ years, and we are loving it! You can catch up on the first 4, Sweet Pea, Chickadee, Honey Bee, and Squirt, in the archives. (I'm having difficulty with linking to certain posts at the moment.)

Oh, how the
grace of God is so faithful! We have been reflecting on how proud we are of how
our kids have grown to be adults who love God and married spouses who follow
Him too. To see them start families and train their little ones to live to
“make Jesus happy” – to put it in toddler terms. This leaves this Papa and Mama
so happy… and humble.

We weren’t
perfect parents. We tried to be good parents, but often fell short. We are so
thankful God’s grace prevails, and he gave us wisdom and strength to persevere.
(This parenting thing is hard!) And now we are seeing the fruit because of His
grace.

How awesome
is that?

So, young
Mama, you can do this. You’re not a perfect mom, but you’re the perfect mom for
your kids. (That brilliant sentence is not from me – I borrowed it from another
mama.) God designed it that way, planned it
out perfectly.

Every day as
you work to point your kids’ hearts toward God, don’t forget to refuel your own
heart with His love to pass on to them. His grace will cover because in your
weakness, He is strong.

Day in and
day out, week after week, teach them to see life through His eyes. Mamahood is
no easy task, it takes work. Commitment. Perseverance. And just when you start
to wonder if anything you have been doing is having any affect, or if it is
taking root or if you’re even doing it right….

God’s grace
breaks through and lets you get a glimpse of His love flowing from those little
ones – and you know you’re on the right path. Because His path is always the
right one, no matter how it feels or looks at the moment.

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

I'm sharing this in the Titus2sdays Link Party! Check out the other encouraging posts linked there!

Tired of the
whining? Tired of dealing with disobedience? Tired of getting up at night?
Tired of mess after mess? Tired of dressing them, feeding them, wiping
noses…and bottoms?

Tired? That’s
normal. It happens. Even to the best mamas. So what do you do with these
feelings? These frustrations? You can’t hide. You can’t change your name. You
can’t run away. So what’s a mama to do?

The middle
of winter is when it usually hit me. Cabin fever sets in both you and the kids.
And you find yourself coming down with a bad case of the Blues. The Poor Mama Blues.

But this can’t
be blamed on anyone but yourself. Your emotions and attitudes belong to no one
else but you. You are in charge of them. You are in charge of what your
emotions and attitudes are in any given situation.

Sounds
harsh? Yes. But honesty is your friend here. Your emotions come upon you
without notice, but whether you allow them to stay and develop into an attitude
is up to you. You are in charge. To place the blame anywhere else means there
is no way of conquering it. You would have no control. But you do. Even when it
feels otherwise.

When you
first feel the Poor Mama Blues coming on is the best time to stop it in its
tracks. While it is still small. Before it gets out of hand.

10 Ways Stop the Poor Mama Blues

1. STOP:

Stop
whining. You’re the adult. Some days Mamahood is hard, but you’re a big girl
and you can make it through. Sometimes we just have to take charge of our
emotions instead of sulking.

2. PRAY:

Stop what
you are doing and ask God to help you have the right attitude today.

3. READ:

Sit down and
read a book with your kids. Remind yourself they are your main priority today.

4. BE THANKFUL:

Be thankful
for the whining, wiping and wildness around you. It means your children are
alive and well. As I write this, on my prayer list is a mom whose first child
lived only a few hours. Now she is carrying her second child and has just
received news that this baby has the same rare defect and is not likely to live
long as well. I can’t imagine her sorrow. Yes, be thankful your children are
with you and able to make messes and want your attention. She would give
anything to be in your shoes right now.

5. ENVISION:

What good 5
qualities you see in each of your children? What are their strong points? How
has God gifted them? What does He see when He looks at them? In what areas have
they matured? What do you imagine God has planned for each of them? How will
your mama-ing today help them tomorrow?

6. DANCE:

Put on some
fast-paced music and be silly with your youngin’s. Lighten the mood and get
your groove on.

7. GROW: Look for one way God wants you
to grow today. What lesson is He showing you? How are today’s trials molding
you to be more like Christ? Choose a verse, write it on sticky notes, post it
around the house and commit to memorizing it this week.

8. BE HELPFUL: Do something helpful for
someone who is going through a difficult situation right now. Make dinner for
them… babysit for them… invite them over for coffee… bake cookies… rake their
yard… run their errands… be creative. Interrupt your pity party and focus on
helping someone else who is having a hard time.

9.JOIN
FORCES: Invite another mom over. Let the kids play while you two pray
together (over coffee, of course) for wisdom and strength in your mama-ing.
Text each other encouragement every day for a week or two.

10. CLEAN: Use your time to tackle a
project around the house that needs to be done and enlist the kids to help.
Clean out the toys… tackle an overstuffed closet… sweep the garage… wash the
windows… clean all the baseboards… clean out the fridge. Teach them about
organization, cleaning, and caring for a home. Seeing a project tackled is good
for the soul, visible progress in your day gives energy to tackle tomorrow.

Wednesday, December 31, 2014

The alarm woke me at 5:45 and pulled me back into my somewhat
normal routine after almost 2 weeks of busy-wonderful Christmas break. The
verse highlighted in bright pink caught my attention as I thumbed through the pages
of my bible.

Psalm 90.6 (NIV)

May Your deeds be shown to Your servants,

Your splendor to their children.

“I want to
see Your splendor. Lord, show me your splendor today.” I declared right there
in my kitchen, while it was still dark outside and the day had not yet began
for many.

Only then I made
breakfast, had another cup of coffee, made my bed, packed my lunch, threw some
laundry in and went to work. I went on with my very ordinary day and forgot all
about it. I forgot to look for His
splendor. I was too engrossed in my day to watch for Him to show up.

It wasn’t until
the next morning that I even gave it another thought.

I really do want
to see His splendor. I want to see it
right in the midst of my oh-so-ordinary life. In the midst of my ordinary
busy day. I want to see Him at work around me right in the middle of the daily
grind.

But how can I fulfill
my responsibilities while staying focused on watching? How will I recognize it
when I see it? How will I know?

Psalm 28.8
(NET) O Lord, I love the temple where you
live,the place where your splendor is revealed.

God’s
splendor emanates from Him. When I enter into the Holy place of fellowship with
Him, I will see it, and what I see most often is what my mind will focus on.
What I focus on is what my mouth will most often speak of.

Seeing the
splendor of the Lord begins with daily spending time in prayer and studying His
letter to me so that my heart focus will be aimed in that direction. My goal as
I begin a new year is to grow in my knowledge of Him. To sit at His feet and
let my heart gaze at is His beauty.

Will you
gaze with me? What special passage of scripture have you been blessed with
lately?

Saturday, November 15, 2014

Whew!
October…what a crazy month! It’s always a crazy month for me, requiring extra
hours at work. Add to that having just moved to a new home and starting a
children’s clothing shop with my girls… and this year October felt like a
marathon! Not that I really know what a marathon feels like. Since I absolutely
do not run. At all. But I can only imagine ….

It feels
good to have that crazy month over and turn a new page on the calendar. In my
bible studying lately, I have become mesmerized by the Exodus. And the
Wilderness.

The Israelites
were in bondage for 400 years. That’s a long time. Hard work that only got
harder. Slavery that only got more oppressive. And then, in one evening, they
were free. Free!

What must
that have felt like? No more harsh foremen. No more beatings. No more gathering
straw. No more making bricks. Free. Take a deep breath…. Ahhh! That’s the smell
of freedom.

But like a
new car, freedom doesn’t keep that new smell for long. They missed the good old
days. They missed the comforts of home. The security of knowing what’s going
on. The familiarity of the norm.The
amenities of life in Egypt. Houses. Food. Schedules. Livestock. A place to call
home.

But in their
new-found freedom, their lives were changed forever. They were pursued at the
start. They wandered. Were hungry. Were thirsty. Lived in tents. And ate the
same. Meal. Every. Day.

No, ma’am,
it did not take long for the whining to begin. It was only a short time after
the celebration singing died down that they lost focus of freedom and missed
their old life. At least portions of it. The fonder memories seemed to hold
their place in the forefront while the beatings and hardships went
unremembered.

Now, lest
you think I am dissing the Israelites, please understand that I am not. In
fact, if I had been in the crowd, the whining would undoubtedly have begun much
sooner. It would have sounded something like this:

Me: “These
shoes! I need new ones, Moses.”

Moses: “Sharon,
what’s wrong with the shoes? They look fine to me. Do they hurt your feet?”

Me: “ No. I’m
tired of them. I want new ones. These just don’t fit my style anymore. Can we
stop at the mall? I want a new pair. Maybe in a bright color, maybe some
sequins too.”

Moses: “I
don’t see a mall around here; you’re just going to have to make do with the
pair you are wearing.”

And at this
point, girls, is where the whining would have began. Seriously. A new pair of
shoes just makes the sun shine brighter. Are you with me? 40 years in the same shoes? Really? I like
shoes. I like many many shoes.

My sisters
enjoy telling the story of the time I limped behind them through the mall. Yes,
I limped. And whined. In public. I wanted new shoes. My sisters had each gotten
new shoes that day and I wanted a pair too. They were embarrassed by their
little sister’s behavior. But desperate times call for desperate measures… and
I eventually got the shoes. {grin}

Yes, had I been
in the desert, instead of being amazed at the fact that my shoes didn’t wear
out, instead of seeing God’s power through it, I’m sure I would have whined. No
doubt.

Because when
I want what I want I forget to want what God wants. All I can see is what I want.
All thatmakes sense is what I want.

The Israelites
went from bondage to a foreign country to bondage to their desires. But it didn’t
have to be that way. God wanted the Israelites to see His power. And see His
provisions. And His protection. He wants me to see that today. He wants you to
see that too.

How many
times do you and I miss seeing God’s provision? How often do we miss seeing
what God wants because we’re too busy seeing what we want? Are we too busy
wishing for the things we want, that we miss the blessing of what He has
already given us?

I want my
own interpretation of Psalm 37:4 to prevail. I want God to give me everything my heart
desires. Because, deep down, I believe that is where happiness begins.

I want to
begin with delighting in the desires of my heart, but God wants me to begin
with delighting in Him. When I delight in Him. Pursue knowing Him. Study His
ways. Lean into His love. He will put right desires in my heart. My heart will
be delighted with Him.

And that is
where is began in the first place. With desires in the heart. It seems when I am
left to come up with my own desires, that is what gets me into trouble. But if I
allow God to put His desires there, I find the freedom and comforts of home
that I have been looking for all along.

Monday, September 29, 2014

After being
out of town for 2 Sundays in a row, I was looking forward to being back home in
“my” church with my church family again. Then
I noticed the nursery schedule. It
was my turn.After I had just taught
Sunday school. I fought the whine welling up inside.

I had missed
the fellowship and theological discussions in our adult class and now I would
miss the message again... for the 3rd week in a row.

Grabbing my
things, I headed back to the bright nursery room to do the job required of me.
As I began to talk with the toddlers and preschoolers, I was reminded in my
heart that nursery work is important
work.

These are
little souls who need cared for while their parents are fed from the Word.
Nursery time isn’t just about keeping kids corralled; it is the first phase of ministry.The time spent with those little ones builds relationships that bring
godly influence into their lives.

Once I
changed my attitude, I actually enjoyed my time with those little smiling
faces. We talked, snacked on animal crackers and read lots of books. I was
reminded that I don’t go to church just
for me, I go to serve as well.

3 Reasons Why Nursery Workers Rock:

They give
up sitting in the service so you can sit and listen- in peace.

They care
for your little ones even when they may be tired and want a day off.

They spend their energy engaging with your little ones, providing godly influence in their
lives.

Be sure you thank your nursery workers. And be sure you sign up to work in there, too. The blessings go both ways!

Monday, September 22, 2014

Have you
ever wondered about the Bleeding Woman in Mark chapter 5? While we are on
the subject, I seriously think we should consider giving her a name,
that’s not something anyone wants to be known as. Maybe we should call her the
Woman of Faith... But back to the subject. Or maybe it is part of the subject
now that I think about it. I’ll get to that in a bit.Instead of
receiving healing and going on her merry way as I often do, she moved to a
position of worship in front of Jesus. Her
faith compelled her to go to Jesus for healing and her
faith also compelled her to worship Him publically.I don’t
mind God knowing about all my junk, but I don’t necessarily like anyone else to
know. Are you with me? I
tend to want to only show the good and keep the bad and ugly hidden away.
Keep it just between God and I.To move in
front of Jesus and publically worship for healing meant others would know her
problems and that she needed healing. She
opened herself up to the eye of the public. She had received
the healing. She could have just slipped away. There was a large crowd. She
could have just blended in. Mailed Him a thank you note or text message. But Jesus
called her out. He gave her the opportunity to come forward. The opportunity to worship.
The opportunity to move from private faith to public faith. The opportunity to
grow in humility. The opportunity to be a living example. The opportunity
to be forever labeled by her sickness but with her faith shining a different
perspective on it. We all
have struggles, defects and problems in our lives. Just as she did. We don’t
want others to know about these issues we have, we want respect and acceptance
and privacy. We don’t want our reputation marred by sin, failures or
shortcomings. But we need healing. And
a faith that is real is a faith that brings us to Christ where we find
healing.So back to
her name. Or lack of, rather. She is still centuries later known as “The
Bleeding Woman”. I’m just guessing here, but I bet that is not what she
would have chosen to be known as, if it was up to her.But maybe
it is actually a good thing. God
takes us as we are. We don’t have to hide our identity. We
don’t have to become someone we are not. All He requires is faith. And He
changes and perfects us from there. Maybe she
didn’t mind that identity, after all. It described who she used to be, but because of His grace, she was
changed. Just maybe she liked the contrast between her past and
present, showing the power of the One who healed her.

Monday, September 8, 2014

Grab a cup of coffee; I have a story for you...you will think it's funny,
however, it took me some time before I laughed. I do believe this is my best "blonder
than she pays to be" moment yet to date, to put it in Beth Moore terms.

I was scheduled for a class in Sioux Falls and
my husband gave up precious hunting time to accompany me. We drove the 5 ½ hour
trek; we left home around 3pm and arrived about 8:30pm.That always seems like such a long ride, and
we were glad when we finally reached our destination.

There was a bit of confusion on the face of
the hotel clerk as he searched for our reservation.His reply stopped my heart, “Your
reservations are for NEXT SUNDAY”..... I dug in my purse...to my horror, the conference
registration confirmed his words.

My
husband tried to comprehend our predicament “So, we just drove 300 miles for
nothing?"My reply was a disbelieving
nod; how could I have mixed up the dates?I felt sick to my stomach.

“You
mean I could have gone hunting?” the ramifications were setting into Jeff’s
mind.Again, all I could do was nod.

So..... we got back in the car and drove 5.5
hours once again and arrived home around 2 am.Jeff never said another word about it.
(He's a good man, I tell you!)

Needless to say, I am not laughing yet and neither is Jeff but he does
says there’s never a dull moment with me around. It's ok, you can laugh,
I know I will in time...

Two of my friends told me “There must be a reason,
or the Holy Spirit wouldn’t have let you do it”… I would love to believe this,
to believe that I am merely a pharmaceutical outlet helping God with His
laughter-is-good-medicine ministry by supplying the world with chuckles.

But, my mind can’t help but wonder if the
Holy Spirit didn’t try to tell me.Warn
me.Even just get me to look at my
calendar….. If He did, why did I not listen?Why did I not hear?What else was my
mind so focused on? What was drowning out His voice?

I know driving 600 miles round trip for nothing is
not a tragedy, but there is a deeper question lurking in my heart: have I
missed God’s leading on truly important things just because I wasn’t
listening?Its definitely something to
think on as I tune in to Him.

Monday, August 18, 2014

Can you feel
it?Fall is approaching. It’s in the
air. And it’s bittersweet. I love the cool freshness of fall, but I hate to see
school start and the busyness of life begin again.

Where did
the lazy days of summer go? It’s been a
full summer.Filled with to-do’s and
projects and trips and packed with lots of fun and sun as the days flew
by.

As summer turns to fall may we not let the
busy life eat up our days and good intentions.

What are your goals for this school year?What do you want your kids to learn? How
do you want them to grow?

I’m not talking math or phonics.I’m talking character. Character is built in
the midst of solving story problems and learning spelling words. It is grown
while we carpool or homeschool.

What is your
purpose for this school year? What goals will encompass the day in day out
routine of your Monday through Friday?The time will go quickly, and more so each year, you know.

How many “back to schools” do you have
left, anyway? Whether it is 12 or 2, they’re running out.

Are those
young ones in your care learning the character that you want to see in their
lives as adults? Don’t miss the
opportunities during the morning rush to get ready, or the after school
homework, or the extra-curricular activities or the weekends. Use those
opportunities to teach.

Without
goals this school year will be just like any other year- surviving daily grind and hoping for good grades.

But they need more. More than passing 2nd
grade, more knowing the 50 states, more than graduating.

They need
character. They need to know how to love others. How to be kind. How to work
hard. And how to enjoy learning.

What will it
be? Will it be learning patience? Or kindness? Or joy? Or thankfulness? Pray about
it. So as you shop for new pencils and notebooks and crayons, remember to
choose some fresh goals for the year as well.

Make a plan of action to do more this
school year. More than just reading writing and arithmetic.

Who your children are is what will matter when
there are no more school days left in your home.

Monday, August 11, 2014

Summer,
wonderful summer – when the kids are home all day, swimming, bike riding, and
outdoor play fill the days. It’s the middle of summer and what better time to
share a few laughs with other mamas! These days are full and also
a bit exhausting… which is usually when my list grows. My list of Mama stories.

We could
compile a ginormous list of stories, us Mamas.We each have our own stack and laugh together as we swap our latest … while
husbands just shake their heads in amazement at the things we do under the
influence of “Mommy Brain”.

Like leaving
the stroller in the road after forgetting to load it into the van - and then
driving away….putting the milk away in the cabinet and the cereal in the
fridge…stocking up at a meat sale and forgetting it all in the trunk – all day
– in August…or paying for your groceries and not realizing until 4 hours later you
never brought them home.

Those just
are a few of mine, I’d love to hear your stories!

So take some time, sit down with
an iced latte and visit a bit with us! What have you done under the influence?
Laughing together is so rejuvenating! Share your stories in the comments below!
Happy Summer Day!

Monday, August 4, 2014

We welcomed Little Miss Allison Grace into this
world just 2 weeks ago. That makes 4
granddaughters! (you can read about the others here, here and here.) Let the tea parties
begin! (And she already has her pinky ready!)

Is there anything
sweeter than a newborn baby? So cuddly. So new. So precious!

Her whole
life is ahead of her. And I wonder what her personality will be
like. I wonder if she will be adventurous or cautious? Boisterous or quiet? Silly or serious?

I wonder what God has planned for this
little life that I hold in my arms. What does the Father want for her? What
does He have for her to do? What has he designed her for?

I pray she
will love Him with all her heart. I pray she will reflect His love to others.

That is your
prayer for your little ones, I know.

The days of Mamahood are filled with
many tasks. I know you are tired. And busy. Diapers, dishes, dusting, all are important
and must get done, but don’t forget to sit and cherish the time. It’s one
thing that won’t wait. Soon that time will be gone.

Those little
ones, they won’t be little for long. Soon they won’t want to sit on your lap.
And soon they will be off to activities and jobs and college.

So sit and cuddle them now. Pray over
them. Pray with them. Love on them. Take time today to cuddle each of your
children and pray for their futures. I
wonder… what does the Father have planned for them?